For today’s Sunday Dinner author interview, I invited Carmen Peone to talk about Renewed Hope, a Christian Contemporary Western Romantic Suspense.

Carmen Peone is an award-winning author of Young Adult and Contemporary Western Romantic Suspense and lives with her husband in Northeast Washington and on the Colville Confederated Indian Reservation.  She had worked with a Tribal Elder, Marguerite Ensminger, for three years learning the Arrow Lakes Language and various cultural traditions, which led to her writing career.  With the love of history and the Western woman’s lifestyle, she weaves threads of healing, hope, and horses into her stories that lead to happily ever after. 

Sunday Dinner is a traditional (noon) meal served after church on Sundays. Whole families, including extended family, would gather over a large meal to celebrate a day of rest. Multiple cultures enjoy this Sunday Dinner tradition. In my experience, I know it from both my Midwestern farm family as well as my Italian-American family. Now, I’d like to bring Sunday Dinner virtually to you. So, pull up a chair as we invite various guests to join us each week!

This or That Quick Takes

*Author’s choice is in bold.

Ten Questions

Tell us something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you.

With a degree in Abnormal Psychology, the thought of writing novels never occurred to me until I moved to my husband’s reservation and mingled with the people and their traditions and culture.

Can you tell us about your latest novel?

Renewed Hope is the 3rd book in the Seven Tine Ranch Romance series.

Can they find her son in time?

Sophie Cayes is on the road to success as an artist. Until her ex-husband threatens to sue for full custody of their son. Upon learning of a guest ranch in Eastern Washington that keeps a room open for women in need, she grabs her son and bolts.

Although Chad Davis loves starting colts on the Seven Tine Guest Ranch, his goal is to have his own spread. Everything’s on course until a woman and her preschool son show up. He’s not thrilled about helping out. Until the boy comes up missing. On his watch.

Along with a tribal cop, they head back to Montana in search of the boy, knowing his dad was the one who kidnapped him. Sophie prays they find him before her ex-husband and his new wife go on the run. Taking her son with them.

In what city is your story set and why did you choose to set your novel there?

Renewed Hope is set on both the Colville Reservation in Washington State and mostly in northwestern Montana: Pablo and Polson area on the Flathead Reservation.

Describe your setting. And, if it’s a real place, have you visited?

The Colville Reservation has everything from pine and larch to wildlife and wildflowers to a craggy desert landscape, and northwest Montana is nestled at the feet of the jagged, snow-capped Mission Mountain Range, a part of the Rocky Mountains. Streams, lakes, trees, wildflowers, wildlife, and the 197-square-mile, glacier Flathead Lake fill the area with glorious wonder. As stated in my bio, I live on the Colville Reservation, and I’ve visited this area of Montana several times for pleasure and research. You can read more at https://carmenpeone.com/why-renewed-hope-is-set-in-montana.

What research was required to set a book there?

For Montana, I first traveled there for my husband’s work, then I went back twice to make sure my facts were correct, gather additional plot and setting pieces, and to simply soak in the beauty so my characters and readers could do the same.

What does a day in the life of one of your characters look like?

Since this romantic suspense series covers abuse and missing and murdered Indigenous Peoples, the women are either, trying to save a ranch and a daughter’s life, are on the run, or as in Renewed Hope, searching for the heroine’s missing toddler. The heroine in Renewed Hope is from the Seven Tine Ranch on the Colville Reservation and is helping the heroine find her son since the boy disappeared on his watch. Not good.

Were resources easy or difficult to find on these topics? Do you have a favorite resource?

Yes. this book and series are inspired by family trauma and death. Additional research came easily from abused women and internet research.

What is one piece of your research that you couldn’t include in the book, but wish readers could know?

Actually, I was able to include all my research into my book, even in A Note From the Author. For Renewed Hope, I knew what I needed and didn’t have time to drop down rabbit holes.

Do you have another book in the works? What can you tell us about that book?

I sure do. This is a series about Rodeo Queens, thing Miss Rodeo America, and professional rodeo cowboys. Readers will get a close-up look at the life, faith, and romance of three rodeo queens, a steer wrestler, a bull rider, and a calf roper.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

I also have a line of young adult books. They can be found on my website.

The Wrap-Up

The afternoon is slipping away, so we have to draw the stories to an end. Thank you for joining us today!

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If readers would like to purchase a copy of your book, where might they be able to do so?

Amazon | Goodreads

If readers would like to learn about you or your other books, how might they find you online?

Website | Amazon | BookBub

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Question for Readers

*Answer in the Comments!

Have you ever visited Montana or Washington State?

Over Sunday Dinner next week author Edwina Kiernan will be joining us. See you then!

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